Another Engine Penalty Awaits Russell. Las Vegas Could Be Next.

George Russell expects another power-unit grid penalty before the season ends, but Mercedes now has more freedom to choose where to take it.

George Russell has identified Las Vegas as a possible venue for his next engine-related grid penalty, following the enforced change that compromised his Singapore Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sky Sports after Sunday’s race, Russell said Mercedes was “maybe looking at Vegas” for another penalty later in the season.

The location remains undecided. The important change is that Mercedes expects to have a choice this time, rather than being forced to replace components immediately after a failure.

Singapore left Mercedes little choice

Russell’s Singapore change followed his late retirement from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where a power-unit failure ended his race at Sepang.

Mercedes had preferred Austin as the venue for a planned change. Instead, the damage from Malaysia brought the replacement forward to Singapore, where overtaking is particularly difficult.

Taking additional regulated power-unit components beyond his allocation triggered the grid penalty. Russell qualified sixth but started 19th, eventually recovering to ninth.

The penalty was a consequence of exceeding component allowances, separate from the mechanical failure that made the replacements necessary.

An F1 power unit includes the combustion engine and other individually regulated elements. A further change does not automatically mean another complete power unit or the same grid drop.

Choosing where to take the next penalty

Russell’s comments suggest Mercedes can now plan around the expected additional penalty and select a circuit where recovery through the field should be less difficult.

“Now we’ve got the choice to take it when we wish,” he said.

That flexibility matters because the cost of starting farther back depends partly on the opportunities to pass. Singapore demonstrated the challenge: Russell reached the points, but his progress ended behind Nico Hülkenberg.

Russell expects another penalty before the season finishes. What remains unconfirmed is the race, the component changes involved and the resulting grid drop.

Las Vegas is an option under consideration, not an announced decision.